Lusa – The Chinese non-governmental organisation GX Foundation launched a pilot project to prevent and combat dengue fever in Timor-Leste on Tuesday with a donation to the Timorese ministry of health.
"This project marks the beginning of a significant partnership between us in public health. Dengue fever is a global concern. Southwest Asia is one of the vulnerable regions," said the president of the GX Foundation, Leung Chun-ying, at the ceremony, which took place at the ministry of health in Dili.
According to Leung Chun-ying, the aim is to "mitigate and prevent dengue fever and other vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes".
"With the support of the ministry of health, we were able to bring seven tonnes of equipment and materials, including rapid tests and mosquito nets to distribute to health centres and posts," he said.
The deputy minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health, Jose dos Reis Magno, emphasised that dengue is a public health problem, with the numbers increasing every year.
"Dengue is endemic," said the deputy minister during the ceremony, which was attended by the Timorese prime minister, Xanana Gusmao.
According to Jose dos Reis Magno, in 2023 there were 1,953 cases of dengue fever, which caused the deaths of seven people.
"Since the beginning of the year, 49 cases have been recorded, mostly in children between the ages of 5 and 14," he said.
The president of the GX Foundation explained that the project will take a holistic approach not only because it will diagnose and treat dengue, but also because it will sensitise and educate communities about the need for prevention.
"The various components of the approach have been successful in other countries, but Timor-Leste is the first country where the programme will be applied holistically," he said.
The GX Foundation, based in Hong Kong, was set up 10 years ago and has health projects in several countries, most of which are related to ophthalmology, namely cataract treatment.